Costumes
by gabrielleabelle
Summary: It's Halloween on the Hellmouth. And this year, evil works overtime. Buffy/Spike. Early S5 fun.


**Author's Note:** Set in S5 between NPLH and _Family_. Some Halloween fun. :)

He should kill her.

Well, yeah, that was a given. Vampire and all.

He should _want_ to kill her. Was the proper thing for a self-respecting vamp to do. Sure, the chip may leash him in, but the urge should still be there.

And it was. Oh yes. That's why he was at this bleedin' college dweeb party, wasn't it? Pimply blowhards getting sloshed and not shagged was not his idea of a fun night. But he came for her.

Because he wanted to kill her.

It was a predator thing.

He was just out of her line of sight. Concealed behind a column. He could hear her and her friends, though. Which was good. Keep tabs on the Scoobies. Figure out their habits, their weaknesses. Just so he could go in for the kill.

"Buffy, why is Riley wearing a cowboy outfit?" Willow stage-whispered.

"Cause it's Halloween?"

"Yeah, but...why a _cowboy outfit_?"

Buffy shrugged. "Just his thing, I guess. I was supposed to be a cowgirl, but I didn't have time to put together a costume. So I'm just dressed up as Buffy tonight."

Spike grinned. Course. Just Buffy. Not the Slayer. Nothing ever happened on Halloween, after all. If she only knew the evil that had come lurking for her.

Buffy gestured towards Willow. "What are you...um..."

"I'm a Victorian lesbian. Well, me and Tara are Victorian lesbians. See, my mom gave me this book on Victorian lesbian...er...erotica - don't ask - and they actually had some snazzy outfits back then. So I'm the charming cross-dresser and Tara's the coy, yet headstrong, lady."

"Uh-huh."

"We _were_ gonna dress as the Ladies of Llangollen, but then I saw that book and I knew we just _had_ to do that, instead."

Okay, now Spike didn't know what the fuck the tom was talking about. She'd babbled into obscurity. Judging by the glazed look in Buffy's eyes, she felt the same way.

Her rodeo ranger was across the room, laughing loudly with some oversized dorks. Willow's dressed-up lover swung by and the two wandered off to join Xander and his demon. Dressed up as a robber and a cop, respectively. No doubt they'd be putting those handcuffs to some use later on. They left the Slayer all by her lonesome.

All alone. Watching her friends from a distance. Shining brighter than the lot of them.

Like a target, of course.

It was a predator thing.

"Oops!"

Spike turned in irritation to face the tipsy partygoer that had just run into him and spilled some fruity alcoholic concoction all down his jacket. Bitch.

"I'm _so_ sorry. I mean, wow! Great coat!"

A little co-ed. Likely would have been the one he'd picked out of the crowd years ago. Giggly. Bit unsteady on her feet. Dressed up like a cat. Easy prey.

"Yeah, now bugger off." He had to keep an eye on Buffy, after all. In a predator-type fashion. Couldn't be distracted by any scrumptious morsels that he couldn't even enjoy.

"I can lick it off! Cause...cat. Wait - I think I'm a _little_ drunk." She toppled forward and gripped his shoulder for balance. "Oh! Say 'cat' in British. Make it sexy."

Couldn't this bint see that he was busy stalking the Slayer?

He removed her hand and turned her around. "See that bloke over there dressed up like a...git? Go spill your drink on him, yeah?"

She staggered off.

Spike turned to get back to his Buffy watching, but was met face-to-face _by_ Buffy. Arms crossed. Annoyed look.

"Ah...Buffy." He looked around for an escape route before realizing that taking a runner would make him look like a complete pansy. Better to stay and fess up. Let her know he was watching her. In a predatory way.

"Spike. Nice costume. What are you supposed to be? A pathetic loser?"

"Careful throwing stones there, pet. You're not all dressed up, yourself. What's the matter? Captain Cowboy not able to lasso you into one?"

She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Free party. Free beer." He raised his bottle. "What else is a creature of the night to do on Halloween? Same thing for you, I'd wager, otherwise you'd be out at the cemetery staking a few of my mates right now."

Fighting with a passion the likes of which he'd never seen. Hair bouncing around, breath coming heavy, tight pants stretched across such a delectable ass. Power coiled up in such a tight, tiny body.

God, he wanted to kill her so much.

"Uh huh. And you just _happened_ to come to the party that I happen to be at."

"Well, yeah. Small town, after all. Not like many people are having a party tonight."

She tilted her head forward, giving him a look that showed just how much she didn't believe him. He had to salvage this somehow.

"Alright, fine," he said. "You caught me. I was following you, alright? Cause," he stepped forward and lowered his voice, practicing the seductive predatory vibe he'd perfected over the century. "I want your blood, Slayer."

She laughed. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

"Won't sound so ridiculous when you find my teeth in your throat. You'll be begging me to end it." His body was begging her to start it.

"I get it. It's Halloween. And you're dressed up as an unneutered vamp who's still bad, right?"

Her smell was so delicious. He just wanted to be deep inside her. His fangs...deep inside her. Predator.

"Would watch it if I were you, Slayer. I came here to watch you. Study your moves, your habits, your patterns. Cause one day...one day soon...we'll have it out."

"On that day, Spike, you'll be dust before you can even _think_ to enjoy it." She turned and walked away.

Left him hard and wanting. To kill her. Like a predator.

She had no idea. Things were always quiet on Halloween. Evil things taking a breather. Except him. He'd always be watching her, waiting for his moment. His opportunity to strike. To get past her defenses and make her his. In a predatory way, of course.

This evil worked overtime.

**Two hours earlier...**

"Okay, Spikey, I think I've found the perfect outfits!" Harmony stood in front of the TV, blocking his view of Freddy Krueger. Spike angled his head and tried to see around her.

"Harm, kinda busy."

She tsked and turned to switch the TV off. "Seriously, Spike, I told you last week that we're going to a party. Remember? That demon, Clem, that I introduced you to? He's having a big bash at his place, and _all_ the cool demons are gonna be there."

Fuck. So much for his evening of cheesy Hollywood horror movies. Party with Clem? Bloke was almost as bad as Harmony. Just he couldn't fuck Clem, which made him worse than Harmony.

"Now, I shopped long and hard, but I finally found our costumes."

"Costumes?"

"Well, duh! It's a Halloween party. You have to dress up!" She reached into the bag she had and pulled out a hideous pile of bright red fabric and yarn and...fuck if he could make out what it was.

"Harm. What - "

"It's Raggedy Ann and Andy, silly! I get to be Ann, of course. And you," she sat down on his lap. "Are gonna be Andy."

He stood up, spilling her off onto the floor. "Uh...don't think so, Harm. Just happens, I got other plans."

"You do not. It's Halloween. Demons don't have Halloween plans!" She still held the brightly-colored clothing in dismay.

"Yeah, well, I do. Call me a rebel. Don't wait up for me." He made his quick escape, sighing in relief as he exited the crypt.

Since watching movies was out, he was left with a lot of nothing to do.

Might as well see what Buffy was doing.

_fin_


End file.
